More and more states—and many legislators from both political parties—are displaying a willingness to impose heavy-handed vaccine mandates that trample on religious, parental and human rights—including the precious right to "security of person" guaranteed by Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

What some Americans may not realize is that the current push for mandates is playing out not just in the U.S. but in other countries as well, reflecting a broader—and indeed, global—agenda. Countries such as Australia, Italy and France have taken the lead in transitioning away from government interventions that "merely nudge or persuade individuals to vaccinate" and toward a more punitive exercise of "coercive power"—even though research suggests that "tougher stances on the part of doctors and public health experts tend to polarize attitudes in the public."